St. John’s Mitch Holmes, a former 114th District House representative, won his battle against incumbent Ruth Teichman in a battle of Stafford County residents for the 33rd District in the Kansas Senate.
Holmes had garnered 53 percent of the ballots to 47 percent for Teichman with 155 of 195 precincts reporting. Holmes won the majority of the mostly rural counties in the 33rd Kansas Senate District. He won Scott County (61 percent), Pawnee County (60 percent), Barton County (59 percent), Rice County (59 percent), Rush County (56 percent), Kiowa County (55) and Edwards County (55 percent).
Teichman won her home Stafford County with 60 percent and she also won Pratt County with 61 percent of the vote. But her advantage in those two counties were outweighed by Holmes’ advantage in the other counties. Lane and Ness counties had not reported results.
Teichman lives near Stafford and Holmes just a few miles south and west of Teichman with a St. John address.
Voters apparently agreed with Holmes’ more conservative voting record.
Teichman said she knew the GOP’s “ultra conservatives” would try to field an opponent to replace her more moderate brand of Republican politics.
Holmes said he was disappointed to no longer represent most of Pawnee County and all of Edwards County after reapportionment was complete. The 33rd Senate District includes nearly all of Holmes’ old 114th House District. Holmes believed he had support from both conservatives and moderates in the House Republican Caucus.
Teichman has served as chair of the committee for Financial Institutions and Insurance and vice chair for Natural Resources. She also served on committees for Education, Ways and Means, Pensions, Investments and Benefits; and Organizations, Calendar and Rules.